Yaroslav Konoshchuk10:15, 13.06.25

The US defense budget in 2026 could exceed $1 trillion.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved the US defense budget for fiscal year 2026, forecasting defense spending at 2025 levels and refusing to allocate an additional $300 million for aid to Ukraine, BreakingDefence reports .

According to the draft, US defense spending in 2026 will be $832 billion, which is in line with current year’s defense spending. At the same time, spending could potentially increase to $1 trillion due to unused funds for other purposes.

Among other things, the US may spend $13 billion next year on missile defense and space programs related to the Golden Dome missile shield, $8.5 billion on 69 F-35 fighters, and $36.9 billion on shipbuilding, in particular, on two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which were not included in the Pentagon’s plans.

At the same time, congressmen did not support an amendment to the defense budget bill that would have increased aid to Ukraine by $300 million. It was rejected by a vote.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole warned before the vote that increasing funding for Ukraine could lead to a defense budget failure as some Republicans would oppose the amendment. He added that Democrats would not support the defense budget because of the conservative policies embedded in it.

“I say this as someone who has consistently supported Ukraine. I wrote the bill for the largest aid package, and my opinion on it has not changed, but politics is practical… I want to pass the defense bill, and I am not interested in dividing those who support it,” the congressman explained. 

(C)UNIAN 2025